Carrier containers



June 3, 1969 M. MAHR CARRIER CONTAINERS Filed March 6, 1968 FIG. 1.

MALCOLM MA HR ATTORNEY CARRIER CONTAINERS Filed March 6. 1968 Sheet .2 of 2 FIG.3.

' I s l2 hr, I I i 1 1 il 1 r l3 M: E 1 I INVENTOR I l MALCOLM MAHR BY my. 1%

ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 229-54 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foldable container is provided in the form of a rectangular bag having an open top. Cardboard strips are glued to the side walls along a marginal area at the top, forming sections which are hingeable to a horizontal position inwardly in overlapping relation, thus forming a closure for the container. Spaced slits are provided in the sections forming panels which are hinged upwardly to a vertical position in side by side relation. These panels are provided with hand holes which together form a handle for carrying the container. The hand holes are formed by cutting out flaps, one hinged at the top and the other at the bottom. These flaps engage opposite panels, respectively, and thereby hold the panels together as a unit.

This invention relates to carrier containers and it is more particularly concerned with containers of flexible material which can be set up from a folded position, filled with any desired articles, such as clothing, for example, and carried about in the set up position by a handle that is an integral part of the structure.

An object of the invention is the provision of a container of the type mentioned which may be made exclusively of paper and cardboard.

Another object is the provision of such a container which contains integral releasable means for securing it in set up position.

A further object is the provision of a container of the type mentioned, portions of which are resistant to lateral crushing.

These and still further objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in open set up position for receiving articles.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the embodiment in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the handle flaps in an intermediate position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment in folded position.

Referring to the drawing with more particularity the embodiment illustrated comprises a container of conventional box shape having a bottom wall 11, side walls 12 and 13, and relatively narrow end walls 14 and 15 of strong paper such as kraft paper. The walls are provided with fold lines 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 which permit folding the container to a flat position as shown in FIG. 7.

In the open position, as shown in FIG. 1, articles can be placed within the container through the open mouth 21 at the top.

Along inner marginal surfaces of the side walls 12 and 13 there are secured at the top, such as by glueing, strips of cardboard 22 and 23, respectively.

Fold lines 24 and 25 on the adjacent end walls and fold ice lines 26 and 27 in the side walls just below the strips 22 and 23, respectively, permit folding the portions of the side walls to which the strips are attached inwardly in overlapping position as shown in FIG. 2. The underlying strip 22 is provided with spaced slits 28 and 29 forming a medial panel 30. A base fold line 31 permits folding the panel 30 to a position at right angles to the general plane of the strip 22.

Similar spaced slits 32 and 33 are provided in the overlying strip 23 forming a medial panel 34. A base fold line 35 permits folding the panel 34 to a position at right angles to the general plane of the strip 23 alongside the panel 30.

A flap portion 36 of the panel 30 is cut out along the sides and bottom of a line 37 leaving a fold line 38 at the top which permits hingedly displacing the flap portion.

Similarly, a flap portion 39 of the panel 34 is cut out along the sides and top of a line 40 leaving a fold line 41 at the bottom which permits hingedly displacing the flap portions.

By these means, when the panels 30 and 34 are in side by side relation, the flap portions 36 and 39 may be hinged inwardly from the top and bottom, respectively, through holes 42 and 43 formed thereby in the panels 30 and 34. The flap portion 36 is hinged inwardly and upwardly while the portion 34 is hinged inwardly and outwardly. The portion 36 is provided with outwardly extending ears 44 and 45 at its ends which elfects a locking of the two parts together (see FIG. 2).

The flap portions are made sufiiciently large so that the resulting holes 42 and 43 will accommodate the hand of a person and together as a unit provide a handle for carrying the container.

To further secure the strips 22 and 23- in superimposed position a conventional type of ear 46, 47 is cut out in, say, the strip 22 and its adjacent marginal portion of the side wall 12. These ears have lateral lobes 48, 49 and 50, 51, respectively, which are adapted to engage slits 52, 53 and 54, 55, respectively, in the strip 23 and its adjacent marginal portion of the side wall 13.

I claim:

1. A container comprising side walls, end walls and a bottom wall of flexible material connected together forming a structure of rectangular cross section, said side walls having each a strip of relatively stiff cardboard glued to a marginal area at its top, said marginal areas and strips forming sections hingeable horizontally inward in superimposed relation, said sections having slits forming panels hingedly movable to vertical positions in side by side relation, said panels having hand holes therethrough forming a handle for carrying the container, a flap portion for securing the panels together in vertical side by side relation, said flap portion being provided with locking ears to hold the panels together in the engaged position.

2. A container as described in claim 1 having one flap hinged along its top edge and another flap hinged along its bottom edge, the flap of each being adapted to pass through the hand hole of the other panel, one of the flaps being provided with locking ears to hold the panels together in the engaged position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,757 10/1931 Wolf 22952 2,805,019 9/1957 Muhs et al 22952 2,869,771 1/ 1959 Bothwell 229-52 3,255,951 6/1966 Kay 229-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,353,423 1/1964 France. 

